


On a Thin Line

by DragonAesthetic



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Minecraft: Story Mode - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Character Study, Everyone Has Issues, F/M, Introspection, Isolation, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Post-Break Up, Pre-Canon, The others are just in a flashback Ivor and Gabriel are the main focus, mentions of possessive behavior, no beta reader we die like men, repost because I forgot something stupid AO3 does I talk about in the before and after note
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-11 19:05:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18430217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonAesthetic/pseuds/DragonAesthetic
Summary: Ivor decides to visit his old “friend” so he can give him one more chance to admit the truth.





	On a Thin Line

**Author's Note:**

> Hi my name is Faith and I like old people angst and looking too much into things because the source material kind of sucks but I'm here anyway looking at the small things.
> 
> Most of this was inspired by "The Last of the Real Ones" By Fall Out Boys (Along with 50+ other songs haha help)

It's not uncommon for guards to be routinely switched out. Members of the Order of the Stone were so highly regarded that there were more, enthusiastic fans, and enemies than anyone could count. It wasn't an easy job and Gabriel definitely realized that more than others. He'd never been a hard man towards anyone. Monsters were his only enemies in this world. So he'd always have positions changed for his guards so they didn't get tired of the constant intruders.

But that meant when the time came around every few years, he'd hear those same words.

“Lord Gabriel! There was an intruder found in the temple of the portal! He agreed to come quietly, as long as he could speak to you.”

He sighed. He odd to just tell everyone who the man is so it caused less trouble for all of them. But he knew how _he_ got when anyone knew about him, and rumors would spread quickly. That was one of the last things he needed in his life.

He just gave his usual response. “Let him in. He's no harm, at least now.” As long as he came properly, he expected nothing but a conversation.

The feeling of dread lingers for several minutes while he waits for the guard to go back, tell the others he can see Gabriel, and come to him. It gives him too much time to think about what he _knows_ he's going to hear again. It's inevitable, they're all like broken records at this point.

Finally the doors open again to reveal six guards surrounding the unwelcomed guest. He looks about the same as the last time. He's always looked rather unkempt and tired after all. As weird as it may be, it was just how he functioned best.

“You can let him go and leave us be.”

The others looked surprised at his choice. Their assumptions about the man probably being right, but Gabriel and the other Order members could deal with him.

“But sir-”

“You heard him.” The guest finally spoke, pulling away from one of the guards holding his arm. “We have business and it's no place for children like yourselves.”

“Ivor, I've asked you before to not disrespect my men.”

Ivor rolled his eyes. Respect was something he'd rarely given anyone, and when he did, he regretted it.

Meanwhile, the guards looked in surprise that he knew Ivor's name already.

Gabriel wanted this part in particular to be over with now before an argument broke out. “As I said, you can leave now. He's no trouble in my hands.”

“Debatable but it makes you look like the good one. As usual,” Ivor grumbled. Gabriel pretended he didn't hear him. Keeping his stare on his soldiers to make them understand he was serious.

Begrudgingly, the men let Ivor go. They all take turns looking with an eye of suspicion as they leave the room.

It's time. He might as well be the one to start the conversation this time. “It's been a while. Again.”

The smug smile Ivor had at the guards faded to his usual grim look. “Three years to be exact.”

The times between visits were getting shorter. The first time he'd left, after they “defeated” the Ender Dragon, it had been twenty years before he came to see the others in their still-developing cities.

“You know why I'm here.”

“Of course.” He nodded and gestured for them to find somewhere more private to talk. Even with the halls empty for now, he didn't want to take the risk. No one else needed to know about their past.

Ivor walks next to him, like second nature. It was always second nature for them and the other Order members to stand side by side. Even after so long it felt odd and even lonely to walk alone.

“You're still not going to say it, are you?”

Gabriel refused to answer it immediately. It still doesn't feel safe to say anything here, especially if they start yelling. Ivor had a habit of doing that frequently for no reason as was, and these conversations never went smoothly. He stops at the door of his own room to answer him. “You know I can't. And won't.” With that reminder, he opened the door.

“And you should know you're only digging your own grave farther with that mentality.” Ivor let himself in first. “And I won’t feel guilty when that day finally comes.” He looks back at him far more serious than he's used to. He knows Ivor was always serious about his accusations, but there’s an air around him and light in his eye that feels like a warning sign.

Gabriel tries to keep his stance confident and strong as ever. Despite now feeling uneased by the possible suggestion of Ivor's words. “I’d hope my own friend wouldn’t be bringing me to my end.”

“Of course not.” He immediately waves him off to the notion. “But I am tired of this, as you probably are too.” He looks Gabriel up more thoroughly than he probably has in a long time. “You look like it.”

“My days don’t consist of nothing, Ivor. There is the building competition in a few days and I have to help with the building competition this year along with the festival."

“Right, right, when is it again?”

“Two weeks from now.”

“A lot can happen in that time, can’t it?” Ivor closed the distance between them.

Gabriel knows he shouldn’t even both in this position. Even though he wants to, kissing him would yield nothing. The lie that they live in has ruined any chance they ever had at continuing their relationship. It’s the deep guilt they all felt catching up to them all these years later. Now that they’re old and have seen as much of the world as they possibly could, they could see just what Ivor was talking about back then.

“Just say you didn’t actually kill the dragon already.” Ivor distanced himself from his old partner again. “How long can you live like this? People change, but you aren’t the Gabriel that believed we could all make it together. The one that said we were all friends that could do it because we were smart enough to do it.”

It hurt. Ivor still knew just where to stab Gabriel to get his real reaction out of him. It was almost funny that he said he’d changed yet the same things still got to him after so long.

“We weren’t friends, then.” He simply said. He knew what was going to happen soon. They’re going to devolve into shouting their arguments until they give up.

“No. We were all partners who wanted the best for each other.” He turned his head sharply to the open window. “But one of us didn’t understand too far was too damn far.”

“Would you have rather Soren let us get killed by the dragon?” He gave Ivor a more firm tone to warn him that he wasn’t going to stand for this again.

“He didn’t even give us a chance!” Ivor put his foot down firmly once he finally raised his voice. “Listen to yourself, Gabriel. You’re twisting it and making excuses now too! We were ready and before anything could happen, _poof._ The thing was dead and Soren had the command block. He didn’t trust us to do anything because of that stupid thing and his possessive nature over us!”

“You're talking nonsense again! Soren-” He wanted to believe Soren had their best interest back then. Then he remembered the screaming and the arguing. When he agreed that it had been a bad decision.

* * *

 

_“How could you do this?” Ellegaard was the first to ask once they all came out of the End portal._

_“I was protecting us! I was just-”_

_“You ruined everything! We had a plan, Soren!” Ivor yelled just as he would for years to come._

_“What the hell are we gonna do now?” Magnus looked at Gabriel, whose own rage over the situation was slowly winning over everything else._

_“We can’t take credit for this. This is- We’ve cheated too much to deserve glory.” He sided with everyone else with his still present honor._

_“No one has to know.”_

_Then they all snapped._

_“How could you suggest that?!”_

_“How could you live with yourself with if we lied about this?"_

_“We’d be no better than thieves!”_

_"Hear me out!"_

_"I'm not listening to anything else you have to say." Ellegaard attempted to walk away but Soren snatched her arm and pulled her back to the group._

* * *

 

They want on for hours. Just the five in the small room of the stronghold as they yelled back and forth about everything.

Of course, in the end, they agreed to stay quiet about it. But, "Even if you still feel that way you did agree with us to not say anything." He argued back.

Ivor rolled his eyes again and shook his head. "On certain conditions."

"Still. If anything you are just as guilty as any of us."

"You don't think I realize that?" He came close to his face again. "That's why I'm here. Since I asked to be kept out of this no one will believe me if I say it's all a lie. Only you or the others can admit this, Gabriel."

He took a deep breath in. "I think this is about the point where you should leave, Ivor." If there were a person who fits the definition of insanity it would be him. Maybe all of them to an extent. Everything was repeating just how it usually did, just slightly different. The same sentiment was still there, though. And he still agreed to go through with it. Every. Damn. Time.

"Fine."

Wait.

"Just know this is going to get you, I swear by it."

This isn't how it usually goes. He'd always continue either way. Just completely ignore Gabriel's suggestion even if he was threatening to kick him out personally.

"I'll see you again soon, though. Be careful of where you stand next time because I won't be nice."

"Are you threatening me now?" He finally thought of something coherent to say after the fog of confusion cleared.

"Maybe. You'll just have to wait and see." Ivor's face and tone are completely blank. He can't imagine he means anything other than malice here though. "So good luck."

With that, he brushes pasts him, purposefully not hard but enough to give Gabriel the point he's getting to.

Even with him now being gone- not even loudly shutting the door behind him- the air still feels heavy.

Fear has set inside Gabriel that he hasn't felt in generations. Fear of the unknown even though he knows perfectly well what the person is capable of.

Actually, no, he doesn't know what Ivor is capable of anymore. It's been so long and just because he hasn't changed much due to his own easy lifestyle doesn't mean Ivor hasn't in whatever conditions he's been in for the time.

He should probably get more guards for the contest. Not only for himself but for the people that might be brushed aside as collateral.

A storm is brewing and he has no idea yet just how big it will be or get.

 

**Author's Note:**

> God I've had like 1,400+ words of this done for almost a month and this is the last day I have before the draft is deleted I hope it still feels coherent in the end. Half because there's like nothing in me other than Bang brand coffee and I feel like I'm about to have a heart attack because of it.
> 
> Also I forgot that AO3 takes drafts and posts them to the time they were started so if you saw this appear in the tag from like a month ago that's me being bitter that's how it works and reposting it to now. Sorry.


End file.
